7. He also said, “he who increases flesh, increases worms; he who
increases riches, increases care; he who increases wives, increases
witchcraft; he who increases female servants, increases lewdness; he who
increases men servants, increases robbery; but he who increases his
knowledge of the law, increases life; he who increases his study in
college, increases wisdom; he who increases counsel, increases prudence;
he who increases justice, increases peace; if a man have gained a good
name, he has gained it for himself; if he have gained the words of the
law, he has gained for himself everlasting life in the world to come.”
8. Rabbi Jochanan, son of Zaccai, received the oral law from Hillel and
Shammai. He used to say, “if thou hast spent much time in the study of the
law, yet pride not thyself thereon, because for that wast thou created.”
Rabbi Jochanan, son of Zaccai, had five disciples, and these are they:
Rabbi Eleazar, son of Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua, son of Chananya, Rabbi José
the priest, Rabbi Simon, son of Nathanael, Rabbi Eleazar, son of Arach. He
used thus to estimate their merits: “R. Eleazar, son of Hyrcanus, is as a
well-plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Joshua, son of Chananya,
happy are his parents; José the priest is a saint; Simon, son of
Nathanael, fears sin; Eleazar, son of Arach, is a mighty spring.” He used
to say, “if all the Sages of Israel were in one scale of the balance, and
R. Eleazar, son of Hyrcanus, in the other, he would outweigh them all.”
Abba Saul said in his name, “if all the Sages of Israel were in one scale,
and even R. Eleazar, son of Hyrcanus, with them, and R. Eleazar, son of
Arach, in the other, he would outweigh them all.”
9. He also said to them, “go forth and consider which is the good path for
man to cleave to?” To this R. Eleazar answered, “a good eye.” R. Joshua
said, “a good companion.” R. José said, “a good neighbor.” R. Simon said,
“he who foresees the future.” R. Eleazar said, “a good heart.” He then
said to them, “I prefer the words of R. Eleazar, son of Arach, above
yours, as his words include yours.” He also said to them, “go forth and
consider which is the bad way that man should shun”; to which R. Eleazar
said, “a bad eye.” R. Joshua said, “a bad companion.” R. José said, “a bad
neighbor.” R. Simon said, “he who borrows and pays not; for when one
borrows from man, it is as if he borrows from God, as is said, ‘The wicked
borroweth and payeth not again; but the righteous showeth mercy and
giveth.’ ”(469) R. Eleazar said, “a bad heart.” He then said to them, “I
prefer the words of R. Eleazar, son of Arach, above yours, as his words
include yours.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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